Lila POV
"You have to run."
I was standing in the kitchen looking at my parents like they had lost their minds. Three days ago the Alpha paid a visit to my parents. It was one comment that set them on edge. He said that I would make a good Luna someday soon.
This of course distressed my parents. They packed up my clothes along with non-perishable foods in our only car then emptied their life savings. They told me to run. I pointed out how this didn't make any sense since he already had a Luna.
We've only been in this pack for a year after leaving our last one once the Alpha there also had eyes on me. We came to this pack for protection and yet here I was facing the same situation.
Alphas take whatever they want without a care for anything else. This behavior has been shown to me time and time again. The only thing that keep them in check are other Alphas and the King. We picked one of the strongest packs so we wouldn't have to worry about retaliation or our old Alpha coming after us. Unfortunately, this meant I'm left with nowhere to go now. I can only hope that a small pack would take me.
So far I have traveled across three states. I have yet to run into somebody from our pack, but feel it's time to ditch the car. Stopping at a gas station, I grab the bag with my money and walk to the nearby car dealership. I walked in with my best smile and drove away $10,000 lighter but with a 2012 Toyota Camry.
I went back to the gas station to retrieve the rest of my belongings and left the keys in the car. Now it's time to make my way from Illinois to Texas. I settled in a small town which had a forest nearby. I paid for three nights at the motel and started looking for a job. I found a werewolf friendly bar and decided to try there.
Since I walked in the bar I felt the aggressive atmosphere. There are about ten wolves in the bar. I walked over to the bartender.
"I'm looking for a job. Do you have anything available?" I ask.
"Not for you sweetheart. What are you twelve?" The bartender says.
"I'm twenty three years old." I say.
He looked at me skeptically then raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I'm twenty, but I can do this job." I insist.
"Do you have any experience?" He asked while wiping down the bar.
"In a bar? No, but I did spend three summers waitressing at a diner near my pa- in my hometown."
I can't believe I almost said pack. I didn't want him asking questions about where I came from. I could just tell he caught the slip and knew he had when he said, "We don't give jobs to rogues."
"I'm not a rogue. I'm just in transition. Just turned twenty. Trying to get out on my own. Find some independence," I say.
"I suggest you speak to our Alpha about joining our pack if you want a job here," he says.
Just as he said that, three men walked into the bar. He gives me a smile and says, "Now is your chance, little lady."
"Whose car is it outside," said the tall man in the back.
"That's my car," I said, feeling apprehensive.
"And what brings you to our pack?" He asks.
"I'm just looking for a job and a place to start over," I said confidently.
"What made you think to do it here? We got a small town. We don't want any trouble. Why'd you leave your pack? Alpha throw you out?" The tall man asks.
"He didn't throw me out. I left. I highly doubt he's going to come looking for me. I wasn't anybody special."
"You look like you're something special to me," the burly guy in front says. He grabs me by my arm and I begin to panic.
"Please, I don't want any trouble," I plead trying to yank my arm back.
"You're not in trouble yet sweetheart. They're just going to take you to our Alpha. That's Beta Jackson." The big burly man tips his hat to me.
"Really, I was just looking for a job. I can go someplace else," I say frantic.
"Just go speak to the Alpha. He's a good guy. My name is Jacob by the way," the bartender says. "I promise he won't bite.
Without another word, Beta Jackson leads me to his truck and places me in the passenger seat. The ride to the Alpha's house is a short one. In fact, we could have walked. Beta Jackson threw me a smile as soon as he put the car in park.
He came around the car and led me in by my arm. As soon as we enter the house he bellows, "Alpha Tomas, we caught a rogue."
I look up at him incredulous and he has the nerve to wink at me. I see a man coming down the stairs. I was completely unprepared for him. He wasn't an old stuffy Alpha. He was young. Around my age, young.
"A rogue?" He asks coming down the stairs. "Let me see."
Beta Jackson shoves me forward causing me to fall at Alpha Tomas' feet. I looked up into the most handsome face I have seen in a long time. He has thick brown hair with ice blue eyes. He has full lips with a snub nose. He shows off his brilliant smile and he bends to help me up.
"You don't have to be so rough," Alpha Tomas says. "She looks harmless."
"That's how they get you sir. Send in a pretty young thing to gather Intel on the pack then they attack." Beta Jackson says.
"Are you a spy?" Alpha Tomas asks.
"No. Just trying to start my life," I say looking into the Alpha's eyes. "I was just applying for a job at the bar when Beta Jackson and his men walked in."
"I bet that gave you a scare," he says, chuckling.
"Not until he grabbed my arm," I say.
Alpha Tomas takes a look at me and then he look at Beta Jackson and then he looks at me again. "Did you really find it necessary to grab her by her arm? We're not barbarians."
"I was just having a little fun," he says, looking sheepish.
"So what brings you to our pack? It's obviously not the hospitality," he says looking amused.
"I was just looking for a place to settle down and it seems like a nice town. There's a forest nearby so my wolf can run. I don't need much," I said, looking at him through my lashes.
"Are you planning on joining our pack?" Beta Jackson asks.
"I actually wasn't. I was going to try to live independently. I didn't realize your pack was here. I thought it was a human town until I got to the bar. I saw the sign and figured I'd try and get a job," I say.
"That forest is actually a State forest. That means rangers. We don't take our runs there for obvious reasons. We do have other jobs besides the bar. I suggest you join my pack, for however long, and I will personally teach you all about living here," Alpha Tomas says.
"That sounds like a plan. What do you say? Wait, what's your name?" Beta Jackson asks.
I debate giving them a false name, but all of my identification is in my name. "Lila Daniels."
"Nice to meet you Lila, I am Alpha Tomas Diaz. This is my Beta Jackson Davies. I would like to officially welcome you to our pack, Silver Moon. Once you're ready, we can do the swearing in."
"I don't really know if I am ready to join a pack. You're very nice to offer, but I think I will have to decline."
His smile immediately fell. "If you're not going to join, we will have to make other arrangements," he says, ominously.
This gives me pause. He's behaving similar to Alpha Marvin. When I get out of here I am so out of here. Texas was a bad idea. How am I going to get out of this?
"Please, just let me leave and I'll be on my way," I say, inching towards the door.
"Going somewhere," Beta Jackson asks, blocking the door.
"I was just having a little fun," Alpha Tomas says, grinning. "You are of course free to leave."
I let out the breath I was holding and turned to Beta Jackson. "Excuse me." He steps aside and I ran to the door. I yank the door open. Hearing their laughter, I bolt for my car. I drove to my motel room leaving the car running.
I got my room keys and opened the door. There stood a naked Alpha Tomas. I stood there in shock as he grinned.
"How's a girl as young as you have this much money?" He asks. I stared at him blankly. "I think we need to have a different conversation."
I debated running again but he had all of my money. I would have to break it up after this experience.
"What are you running from?" He asks.
"I don't think that is any of your concern," I say stiffly, closing the door. "Can I please have my money?"
He tossed me my bag then covered himself with my sheets. "Tell me. I want to help."
"Why would you want to help me?" I ask.
"I have two sisters. I would hate to see them out on their own with no one to turn to. It gets kinda boring out here which is why we mess with each other. I really didn't mean anything with that."
"Then why are you in my room?" I ask.
"I came to give you another opportunity to stay. I didn't think you were giving me the full story and I was worried about you. Besides, I was serious about our job vacancies. A few of our old pack members have retired so there's plenty of work," he says.
I sat down next to him and told him everything.
Killian POV
Three years and I am finally done with my Alpha training. All that's left is to go home and introduce myself to my mate. I close my eyes and try to remember her intoxicating aroma.
I have yet to meet her as I only saw her in passing as she moved in. I pointed her out to my father before I returned to my training.
That was a year ago. A whole year spent with the memory of her smell. I took a nap just to pass the time.
As soon as we were in range I mindlink my father.
Me: Dad. How is everything?
Dad: Everything is fine son. How close are you?
Me: I should arrive in thirty minutes. How is mom and Catherine?
Dad: Everyone is doing well son.
Me: How about my mate? Have you seen her?
Dad: Let's discuss that when you get home.
Me: What's there to discuss? Either you've seen her or you haven't.
Dad: Son, I messed up here. I would rather discuss it in person than over mindlink.
Me: What did you do?
Dad: I may have led your mate to believe that I wanted her.
Me: What do you mean? Wanted her to do what?
Dad: Don't freak out. I told her parents that she would make a great Luna and they believed I wanted her for my Luna. Something about their previous Alpha doing the same thing.
Me: What? Dad! You fixed it, right? They know better now, right?
Dad: Her parents know better, yes. They are not the problem. The problem is with your mate.
Me: What? She doesn't believe you?
Dad: Not exactly.
Me: Would you just tell me?
Dad: She's gone son.
Me: What do you mean gone? She left?! I know she's not dead. Where is she?
Dad: We don't know but I'm sending out feelers. I have contacts all over the country so it's only a matter of time until someone sees her.
I started to have a panic attack. How could she be gone? I haven't even met her yet.
A/N photo is of Lila